Update
Twitter at SXSW 2019
South by Southwest (SXSW) returned to Austin this March, and so did Twitter for four days of #TwitterHouse panels, events, and showcases.
Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW Conference and Festivals is an annual event celebrating the convergence between film, music, and digital industries. Each year attendees descend on the city to hear from thought leaders and watch the latest movie releases, and for 2019, Twitter welcomed a plethora of musicians, actors, and directors to the stage.
Here’s what went down inside the house this year...
#InternationalWomensDay
To celebrate #InternationalWomensDay, which coincided with the opening day of SXSW, Twitter hosted over 100 attendees for a conversation between actor Lupita Nyong’o and Twitter’s Culture and Community Global Director God-is Rivera. Nyong’o was there to promote the new Jordan Peele-directed horror flick, “Us,” but took time to talk about what other movies she had enjoyed recently, including the Oscar-winning documentary “Period. End of Sentence.”
#BlueRoom content capture
You’ve heard of a green room, right? Well at Twitter, it’s blue, and for the #BlueRoom at SXSW, we welcomed actors, producers, and directors from 24 different casts over four days.
Guests included Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson, Taika Waititi, and Danay Garcia, with activations such as Q&As, GIF-making, and spilling the tea on what fans can expect from upcoming shows and movies.
Film & TV panels
Making their first panel interview after the highly anticipated world debut of “Us,” Twitter hosted director Jordan Peele along with cast members Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, and Tim Heidecker for an enlightening conversation about the making of the film. The conversation was streamed to audiences around the world via @TwitterMovies, generating over 1 million views.
Twitter also hosted the first full cast panel for Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, “Booksmart,” along with a #TwitterImprov session with Henry Winkler and D’Arcy Carden from HBO’s “Barry.” The session was streamed via HBO so that anyone not at SXSW had the ability to watch and participate through Tweeted prompts and scene suggestions.
Music showcase
SXSW wouldn’t be complete without a large dose of live music, so on Monday evening Twitter hosted a #TwitterMusic showcase highlighting five artists to watch. The house was abuzz with dancing and an energized crowd. Performers included The Brummies, Kevin Garrett, Herizen, Donna Missal, and Pink Sweat$, who went on to win the festival’s Grulke Prize for Developing US Act.